Missing Green Eyes
by smileyjunior
Summary: An AU version as to how The Mentalist 2.0 could have been introduced. Will only continue if readers are interested.
1. Chapter 1

It had been almost 2 years that Jane had fled from California and took to living on the secluded island. He missed being able to speak English, but enjoyed doing magic tricks for the local kids who would clamber up to him at least once a day. The natives were friendly, at time he would miss some of the Spanish and would have to ask them to repeat themselves and they would roll their eyes and speak even slower then they did before.

Jane sat down on the beach just by the water so that the waves could barely reach his toes. He welcomed the coolness of the water on his feet which were hot from the sand. A gentle breeze was blowing by and the scent of the sea came to reach his nostrils. He heard footsteps on the sand somewhere behind him, he didn't pay any mind to it though as it was a public beach. But then, a familiar voice spoke:

"Well if it isn't Patrick Jane himself." Jane turned his head to see Agent Abbott of the F.B.I. Then he turned his head right back to looking at the ocean. "What? I don't even get a hello?" Jane sarcastically waved his hand without looking at the other man. A few more silent moments passed by, "We need to talk."

Jane stood up and looked Abbott in the eye, "You and I have nothing to talk about." And with that he started to walk away.

"It has to do with Lisbon. You've been in touch with her, yes?" Abbott called after him.

Jane stopped and turned to face Abbott "Not for a while no." He left the empty space in his answer for the F.B.I. agent to interpret. He had been writing to Lisbon at least once a week, but he wasn't about to dump on her to the feds. Abbott reached into his bag and brought out 3 letters which had Jane's handwriting on them. "Why ask me questions you already have the answers to?"

Abbott smirked "Because. These 3 letters, haven't made their way to their recipient yet."

Jane looked at Abbott, utterly confused, "What do you mean?"

Abbott walked closer to Jane handing him the 3 letters, "She's missing."

Jane stared at Abbott for a moment before his gaze fell on the letters that Abbott was holding out in his hand to Jane. Then Jane looked back up at Abbott his jaw clenched, a vein visible on his forehead.

"If this is your idea of some sick joke to get me across international lines where you can go ahead and extradite me then you are an extremely sick gentleman." He snatched the letters away from Abbott.

The federal agent smirked yet again crossing his arms, his eyes locked onto Jane's.

"I can assure you Patrick, this is no joke. Those are the last three letters you sent to her, correct?"

"Yes." Abbott didn't respond to this so Jane continued "You mean to tell me she went _missing_," he had put a specific emphasis on the word intending to give off the impression that he still didn't truly believe him, yet on the other hand he felt a pang of concern hit him in the heart. "three weeks ago, and… and…" he struggled to find the right words "she's still missing?"

Abbott looked around the beach "Do you maybe want to take this conversation somewhere else?" He marked to make his way up the beach.

"Here is fine." Jane responded rather quickly. "Why are you here telling me this?" His words tasted bitter and Jane hated the way they sounded, but he couldn't help but feel that Abbott had ulterior motives.

"I'm sorry. I thought you cared about the Chief – I'm sorry. Teresa. I thought you cared about Teresa."

"You aren't here because I care about her, you wouldn't travel across countries just because of that. You want something from me don't you." It was more of a statement then a question. Abbott pursed his lips and didn't respond. Jane almost smiled, "You want my help finding her."

Abbott's hands moved into his pants pockets. At first he didn't respond, and he just looked out onto the sea. "A former state agent of the former CBI who ended up a police chief in Washington because of the federal shut down of the California Bureau of Investigation reported missing by her small-town employee and still has yet to be found…" Abbott turned to look at Jane "It looks kind of bad press wise."

Jane still couldn't decide between a smile and a glare "So this is all about making you look good… wow. And, tell me: how do you know Lisbon didn't just walk off? Maybe, take an extended vacation?"

Abbott gave him a stare "You and I both know that's not what happened."

Yes Jane had known the answer to that statement but he was finding himself particularly nervous at that point: where was she? No matter what job she would have landed she lived by the rules and standards of being an officer of the law and would do nothing to jeopardize that. So something was definitely wrong.

"So?" Abbott asked breaking the silence from when Jane had drifted into his own thoughts.

"So what?"

"Will you come help us find her?"

This time Jane did smile _time to play_. "How am I to be sure the moment I walk across the country line you don't slap a pair of handcuffs onto my wrists and throw me in the brig?"

Abbott bit his lip "A temporary suspension of all charges will be put into place. And that doesn't come from me Patrick." He took a moment before stepping closer to Jane "That promise comes from _my_ boss." Jane could tell the man was telling the truth; he was obviously unhappy with the decision that had been made but he wouldn't have traveled to this small island out of the country if the FBI wasn't desperate. Abbott help out his hand waiting for Jane to offer his. "Do you want to help find your former friend and colleague… or not?"

Jane locked eye contact with Abbott, his smiler growing before putting his hand out for Abbott. "Sure." Abbott's hand moved to shake Jane's but just as he was about to grip it Jane pulled his hand away and started walking up the beach leaving Abbott frozen in place "Let's go find Lisbon." Jane called over his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take Jane too long to gather up all of the belongings he owned and get on the local bus with Abbott. The federal agent had made contact with his boss back in the states with confirmation that he was returning with the – for now former – fugitive Patrick Jane. While standing in the fluorescent lighting of the airport Jane looked at a reflection of himself through a window while waiting to board the plane. His blue linen shirt looked even brighter against his dark tan skin. His shorts were a pink salmon color that complimented the blue of his shirt. He had a scraggly beard that looked sun bleached, as did his unkempt hair.

"Jane." He turned towards the agent who was holding up a ticket "Time to go."

Jane nodded and walked over to boarding with Abbott. He gave a small smile to the gate attendant who returned the smile and told them both to enjoy their flight. Jane sat by the window and watched over the skies after the plane took off. His mind was racing: he was going to go back to speaking English on a daily basis once again. Being back in what might be a familiar area. Maybe he could get his Citroen back. And last but not least Teresa Lisbon. What had happened that she had disappeared three weeks ago and had not made communication with anybody? Surely the FBI had to have covered all of their bases, contacted her brothers, her friends. To Jane all of these factors were pointing to one conclusion and it was one hell of a troubling conclusion.

Time passed by and hours later Jane could feel the plane descending. When it touched down and Jane looked back out the window he realized he didn't know where they were. He turned to look at Abbott who was already standing and making his way to leave didn't acknowledge Jane's confusion. Jane followed suit, Abbott getting off the plane before him. By the time Jane got off about was a few yards away, so Jane jogged to catch up with him,

"Where are we?" Jane asked Abbott once he had caught up with him.

"Austin, Texas." He replied.

"I'm afraid I don't understand Agent."

Abbott stopped abruptly Jane almost knocking into him as the other man spun around to face him "We're in Austin, Texas where you and I will drive by FBI headquarters to pick up another agent who will accompany us back to the airport so that we can make way to Washington."

"Seems like a waste of gas don't you think?"

Abbott turned away from Jane again and continued walking. A black SUV was waiting for them outside the entrance of the airport. But before they got close enough to open the doors two agents stepped out. Now it was Abbott's turn to look surprised. The female agent nodded towards the agent who must have accompanied her to the airport and made her way towards Jane and Abbott while the other male agent got back into his SUV and drove away.

"Agent Fischer," said Abbott "I thought we were to be picking you up at headquarters."

"Plans changed." She replied. "Is this him?" Her head made a gesture to Jane. Abbott nodded and Fischer nodded back. "Mr. Jane." She said now directing her full attention back to him, "It's good to finally meet you in person. I've heard so much about you."

"Good things I hope." Jane said with a smile chuckling softly. Fischer didn't catch on with his humor though and Jane quickly cleared the smile from his face before saying "I was joking, I know you must have heard about me since the FBI was the reason for the CBI's shutdown."

Kim nodded before turning her attention back to Abbott "Shall we continue ahead?"

Abbott who was not amused by Jane's candor nodded, "Please."

* * *

The second plane ride was shorter than the first. When the plane landed yet another black SUV was waiting for them. When all three of them got into the car – Abbott driving with Jane in the seat beside him and Fischer in the back - Fischer had retrieved a tablet from her bag and turned it on before relaying information to the two men up front.

"Okay, so I contacted the police department and they sent an officer over to Chief Lisbon's house to open it up for us. She lives about 20 minutes away."

"Who was the last person to see her?" asked Jane.

"Guy's name is Henry, he works at the police station with her. Says she was such a diligent worker that when she was gone for more then a week something had to be wrong."

Jane couldn't believe his own ears "I'm sorry gone for more than a week?"

"Yeah, they're in the middle of nowhere a lot of the time people don't show up for work. But not -"

"Not Lisbon. Never. Anybody who knows her would know that." Jane shook his head in disbelief. That's when he caught Fischer looking at him via the rearview mirror. She seemed a little taken aback at how quickly he had jumped to defend Lisbon. "What?" he said. Then he playfully hit the mirror so that Fischer's reflection was gone. Abbott adjusted the mirror back immediately.

Soon they pulled up to a small two story house with a tiny front yard. A police cruiser was parked out front and as soon as the SUV pulled up an officer got out of the car.

"Hey there, you must be the FBI. I'm Officer Phelps."

"Nice to see you officer. Could we go ahead and take a look inside?" Abbott asked.


End file.
